Accelerating-cartridge



"mmm H. P. BURST.

AGGBLBRATING CARTRIDGE. No. 390,232. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

WITNESSES INVENTOR .A ttor-nay @wa/.0M

State of Mississippi, have invented certainl `UITEDSTATES PATENT. OFFICE.'

nanars r. BURST, or SUMMIT, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOE 'rofrHE HUES'I: E'EINEoEcE CARTRIDGE AND ARMS COMPANY, or NEW JERSEY.

AccaLEzI-IA'TINcs-'CARIRIeen.'V

srncrrrca'rronfoming part of Leners Patent No. 390,232, date crcberz, Issa.

Application tiled December 2. 188.7. Serial No 256,795. (No model.)

To all whom it'ma/y concern.;

Beit known that l, HARRIS P. HURST, re-

siding'at'S'ummIt, in the county of Pike and new andusel'ul Improvements in Cartridges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein t-o the accompanying drawings. v f' Thisinvention relates to cartridges for smallarms or artillery. vThe invention consists in the'construclion of parts and combination of elements, hereinafter described.

The object of the invention is to produce, primarily,animproved accelerating-cartridge, and, secondarily, to produce an improved cartridge-shellv which may be expanded by the explosion ofthe charge, and which will afterward contract, so as to be easily removable from the bore of the gun.

Figure 1 isa longitudinal section of a calftridge made after'the manner of thisinvention, the outer charge consisting of' riugsof compressed powder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'section of a metallic cartridge-shell. Fig.-3 is. a section of Fig. 2 on the line a: Fig. 4 is an elevation of the `front end of the cartridgeshell, Fig. 2, crimped in onto the projectile. sectional detail showing a manner ofy connecting exterior shell with the base of the cartridge.

The reference-letter a indicates the metallic head of an accelerating-cartridge, preferably of steel or some very strong metal. This head has a tube, b, forming the inner charge-cham-l vber and receptacle for the projectile c. The` icharnber of the gun when thecartrdge is in firing position in the gun. This portion ld serves as a gascheck when the piece is red. Surrounding the tube b, I place a number of rings, ee, of compressed powder. These rings may be of different qualities of powder, the Vrings nearest the base being preferably of the quickest powder, The rings are shown in the drawings as diering in size; but this is not necessary in practice, although suchl may be used. Fig.1 is intended to represent diagrammatically the fact that the rear ring, although smaller in sire-may contain as many units of explosive energy as the large rings at The tube b has perforations f near its front end, th rough which the lire passes from theinner tothe outer charge when Vthe cartridge is tired. The inner powder charge, g, is in rear of the projectile. The projecti-le may rest against a shoulder, h, in the tube.

The compressed powder-rings or outer powder-charge maybe covered by a coating, i, 'of water-proof material-as paperbut is preferably surrounded by La lapped metallic tube, h, the joint Z of the lapped tube being lightly soldered, so as to be ruptured when the outer charge explodes.

vThe front end ofthe case k is notched, asat asin Fig. 4:. The points of the cartridge-shell, when crimpedjdown onto the projectile, as in Fig. 4, are lightly soldered together and to the projectile.

The casing d, which projects forward from the sol id head a, maybe internally screw-threaded, and the casing k attached thereto by a screwthread, as in the detail section, Fig. 5,01' the parts may be soldered together or held by crimping, ascommon in cartridges.

The holes f may be stopped with lead --or similar plugs, o, or bits of solder, which plugs jectile passes these holes.

The outer-charge may beeomposed of high explosives in whole or in part, or in combi nation with the powder packed in thin sheets or blocks or sticks, andthe holes in the inner tube may be iilled'with a detonating powder or composition orprijmers-to explodel the high explosive in the outer charge:` Y l 1 When the cartridge is lired, the charge g drives the projectile forward into the bore of the gun. The outer charge is not Vignited until the base of 'the projectile passes the holes. When the flame reaches these holes f, the gaspressure blows 'ont the Stoppers, if such be used, and the f ront .ring of the outer charge is ignited. The flame then burns backward on the rings, the intensityrof combustion due to the different qualities of powder gradually iucreasing. p

The explosion of the charge, Snc., will tear the front.

m, Fig. 2, so as to crimp it onto the projectile,

. the grooves the projeclleloos'e from the points m, and if the first charge does not the second charge will throw out the points m as far as the chamber of the gun will permit, and at the same time the solder at the joint Z will be burst apart, and the cylindrical portion of the casing Ic will expand to illthe boreor chamber of the gun. As soon as the gas-pressnre is removed, this casingk will contract to about its normal position, so that the entireshell can be readily removed from the gun.

A great advantage ofthe rings of compressed powder and of the vexpansible outer shell is that the entire cartridge can be made smaller than the chamber of the gun in which the car-Y tridge will be seated in firing.y The forward end of the projectile will preferably extend into the bore proper of the gun, thus serving the double purpose of centering the front end ofthe cartridge and seating the projectile in of the gun. The cartridge will thus besurrounded by an ai rspace. When the second or re-enforcing charge explodes, the additional air-space around the easing cushions the explosion and' gives a little room for theex`- pansion of gases, aside from the space in the bore proper of the gun. l Thest-rain on the walls of the chamber of the gun is thus diminished.

The rings of compressed powder, referred to in the preceding' description, are not mere layers of granular powder compacted inside the shell or casing, but are caked powder, each ring being a cake orwasher capable of sustaining itself Without breakage in ordinary handling or transportation.

I claim- 1. An accelerating-cartridge haviuga base, astrong interior tube containing a light charge and inclosing the base of the projectile, and an outer charge consisting of f' annular cakes of compressed powder surrounding thev inner tube, substantially as described.

2'. The combination, with the base` and inclosed charge of a cartridge, of a shell su rround- `as described.

base-piece, the shell ingsaid charge, the edges'of the shell overlapping and lightly soldered,so that the solder will be ruptured and expand when the the combination of the or casing overlapping at the edges and lightly soldered, and a. projectile lightly soldered to the shell or casing, substantially as described.

4. In a metallic cartridge, the shell or casing having a notched front portion, the front notched portion being crimped in to embrace a projectile of milch .smaller caliber, the edges ofthe notched portion being lightly soldered together and to the projectile, so as to hold the projectile firmly and close they joints, all combined substantially as described.l f

5. An accelerating-cartridge havingan inner tube to contain said tube having an interior shoulder'against which the base of the projectile rests, substantially as described. Y

6. An accelerating-cartridge havinga strong interior tube in which a powder-charge and the base of the projectile are inclosed, perfo- 3. In a cartridge,

rations in said tube forward of the base of the` projectile, and an outer charge surrounding said tube and covering said perforations, in combination, substantially as described.

7. An accelerating-cartridge havinga strong interior tube containing a powder-charge and the base of the projectile, said interior tube being perforated forward of said powdercharge, an outer charge surrounding said tube, and primers, plugs, or sloppers in said perforations, all in combination, substantially asdescribed. i

In testimonywhcreof I alx luy-signature in vpresence of two lwitnesses.

v HAR-RIS P. HURST. iVitnesses:

J osErH HARPER, SAML. C. MILLs.

the shell permitted to charge is fired, substantially the base of'the projectile, 65 

